Guaita, Kelly deserve another start after those performances. Defence is not an area I’m worried about. With Dann fit we have 4 good centre half’s and are adequately covered at right and left back in Ward and Schlupp.

I really hope Wickham is ready to join in though, because we need him. Ayew was bang average today and Sorloth’s feet need to leave the ground when he jumps. Wilf will be back for next game but he needs to be out on the wing cutting in if he is going to cause trouble. Got to go 4-5-1 next game.

Ayew was not bang average. He was complete toilet.

Lots of good performances elsewhere to shut out what was on paper a decent-looking attack.

We created almost nothing and Ayew is utter garbage. Send him back to Swansea in January please.I thought we would blow it as we seemed incapable of keeping the ball but Wan was brilliant today and the keeper pulled off a world class save. Even Kelly had a good game.Oh and we won without Zaha. A Christmas miracle.

A shame it's City next week.

Ayew looked ten times better last season with Swansea, the job he's been given isn't his cup of tea obviously and I just cannot understand why he is allowed to suffer and put his team mates under so much stress, Hodgson obviously thinks he is doing something but i fail to see what it is, with Sorloth on we were a million times better with much more threat, where did Ayew play on the pitch for Swansea? I remember him shooting from outside the area and causing huge problems on quite a few occasions ..shame really.

Kelly was very good but I sometimes feel Andros doesnt get the praise he deserves..works like a TrojanNot one of Jimmy Macs best.Nice to have a little breathing space.Meyer is getting better game by game and has the potential to fill the gap left by Cabaye quite soon.

Guaita, Kelly deserve another start after those performances. Defence is not an area I’m worried about. With Dann fit we have 4 good centre half’s and are adequately covered at right and left back in Ward and Schlupp.

I really hope Wickham is ready to join in though, because we need him. Ayew was bang average today and Sorloth’s feet need to leave the ground when he jumps. Wilf will be back for next game but he needs to be out on the wing cutting in if he is going to cause trouble. Got to go 4-5-1 next game.

If he drops Kelly out after that it will be not only a shame but a real kick in the nuts to Martin Kelly.

Roy knows a thing or two about man management but what message would that give to other squad players who might be called upon?

Message would be don’t bother playing out of your skin as you will be back on the bench anyway next time around.

Some players are undroppable but I don’t think Tomkins form of late warrants that description.

Lets pray for Saints and Fulham to lose then we are 5 points above relegation zone.

If all goes will with Wickham and Benteke in the next few weeks then we are getting very close to never having to look at Awey or Sorloth in a match day squad ever again.

Kouyaté was having his best game for us but it looks like he picked up a knock, hopefully nothing serious.

As soon as we have Benteke back available then I reckon we will be going 1 up top with Zaha and Townsend back on the wings. I reckon this is when we start seeing the best of Meyer.

Meyer has shown too that he can keep a shot down which is a very good technical sign, so yes lots more to come from him and at the very least Benteke can hold up the ball brilliantly which as today proved we are absolutely shit at so that alone will benefit Meyer.

Lots of good performances elsewhere to shut out what was on paper a decent-looking attack.

Suspect Roy was testing him out before he returns to the Swans. Will revert back when Wilf returns next week. Even what Roy says I think there will be at least 1 new striker in Jan with Ayew giving way. Hope to see Wickham given some time in the next few games to see what he might be able to do and whether he gives us a little more than Ayew and Sorloth. Ayew can only play with another striker. Throwing long balls up to Andros and Ayew is ineffective.

Edited by Booted Eagle (15 Dec 2018 6.37pm)

“ [T]here are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.There are known unknowns; that is to say there are things that, we now know we don't know.But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know. ”—United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld